This Cotswold cottage B&B is famous in the Far East for simply being perfect

Tucked away in the heart of the Cotswolds, Fosse Farmhouse is the quintessential countryside B&B. Dating back to the 1700s, the two-bedroom guesthouse, near the idyllic village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, is steeped in tradition.

But despite this, it has one unusual claim to fame – it's very popular among the Japanese.

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This is because the B&B features in a popular Japanese anime TV series called Kinmoza. The viewers were so taken with the classic English cottage that Fosse Farmhouse has since been inundated with visitors from Japan eager to stay in a quaint bed and breakfast in a postcard-perfect village.

David Merry & James Cook​

The B&B’s owner Caron Cooper bought the property decades ago when it was very rundown and in need of renovation.

How did the anime show come to be inspired by the B&B?

Back in 1989, Caron met Shozo and Yasuko Mitani, a Japanese couple. They told Caron that they wanted to open a British-themed B&B in Japan, so she invited them to visit Fosse Farmhouse. They were so inspired that they designed their own B&B with Fosse in mind.

David Merry & James Cook​​

The Japanese B&B was picked up by the anime series' creators and, after featuring in magazines and on TV in Japan, Fosse Farmhouse has been popular with Japanese tourists ever since. Fosse Farmhouse’s website even has a Japanese section.

The animated Kinmoza series features a young girl called Alice, who lives in the Fosse-inspired cottage. The character of Alice's mum, Mrs Cartelet, was based on Caron.

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The village of Castle Combe

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"Friends look at me like I’m living in a different world," Caron told Metro. "I’m used to it now, and loving it. I really enjoy the culture over there and they’re always so polite."

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